Daughter of Magic
by Yoda's Prodigy
Summary: There's a blank spot in Montana, somewhere the gods can't see. But the Angels don't take kindly to strange people poking around in their City, and that can prove deadly, especially for the one they keep locked in their vaults. AU, after TLO. HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

_Daughter of Magic_

_Prologue_

The girl trembled. The sun was sinking now, falling past the great white walls of the City. It painted the wall opposite her window magnificent colors, reds and purples and blues and indigos. Anyone else would have sat on the ledge for hours, watching the City quiet down and the Army patrols switch off. Anyone else would have marveled at the trains circling the City, twisting and turning is some sort of elaborate dance. Anyone else would have gawked at the awesome statues that rose up at the doors of the Palace, frowning men and women made of obsidian and marble and alabaster, eyes of emeralds and diamonds and gold.

Anyone else wouldn't have hidden from the Angels.

They came every night garbed in white, screaming at her and hurting her until black spots danced in her vision. They called her terrible things, cajoled her and taunted her, starving her until she couldn't remember what being full felt like. All on the orders of God himself.

He came every so often and stared at her with those blue-white eyes, gazing on impassively through his translucent hair and the Angels hurt her.

She had been a bad girl, he said, and bad girls must be punished. She would have accepted it a little easier if God told her how she had been bad. Her Papa always told her she was heaven on Earth for him. Was she being hurt for that?

It hurt worse when they gave her a name; Etherea. God said it meant pure and holy, then smiled cruelly and beckoned the Angels forward, and they hurt her again.

They hurt her worse when she told them of her dreams, just flashes of another place and time. Sometimes she was standing on a cliff, watching a cloud of crows flying away. Sometimes she was sitting in a room made of dark metal and plastic, laughing with a princess. Sometimes she was in another metal and plastic room, flying high in the clouds and laughing with the girls she called her sisters.

This went on for a long time, long enough that she forgot what some words meant, words like _daisy _or _meadow_ or _tickle_.

And then the strangers came.


	2. Chapter 2

_Daughter of Magic_

_One_

The Tyche cabin was in an uproar. This in itself was unusual, as the children of the luck goddess were pretty easygoing as a whole. But now they were running around waving three-leaved clovers and rabbit feet, as a pair of brothers giggled like little girls among the branches of a nearby tree.

"Boys," Said Chiron severely "Sera does not find it amusing when the horseshoes in her cabin are flipped upside down."

"We were just-" Travis began.

"Nor does the Apollo cabin appreciate their archery equipment being replaced with the NERF version."

"But it's NERF or nothing!" Connor protested, then yelped as his brother whacked him.

"You just admitted to it, you moron!"

The centaur sighed. "To the Big House, both of you. I believe you know the way?"

O0o0o00oo0o0o0o0o0o00o0o0

There was an Iris Message waiting for them when they arrived. Hermes' voice could be heard from the other end.

"And Demeter wants the flowers delivered the _next day_, I mean I'm just one god, and the Underworld is a long way away, and-"

Chiron coughed. "Lord Hermes!"

The Stolls yelled "DAD!"

The god spun around. "Travis! Connor! What is it this time?"

"We flipped Tyche's cabin's horseshoes-"

"And switched Apollo's bows and arrows with the NERF kind!"

Hermes gave Chiron his best pouty face. "You're going to _punish_ them for that?"

He sighed. With the Stolls around, the centaur seemed to be doing that more and more. "Boys, why don't you wait on the porch while I discuss things with your father?

The daughter of Hecate dodged her opponent's heavy swing. She caught his sword with her shorter ones and twisted. The son of Demeter scowled as his weapon clattered on the ground. "She cheated."

Lou Ellen rolled her brilliant green eyes.

"Brandon, if you're going to whine about losing, don't spar with Lou in the first place." Miranda Gardner, head counselor for Demeter, looked back down at her paper. "Next up, Serenna Mason."

Lou grinned at her half-sister as Serenna stepped out of the encircling crowd. The girls crouched like tensed cats, readying themselves.

"Wait!" a satyr sprinted into the arena. He wheezed like a dying donkey for a few seconds, and then managed to convey that Chiron wanted to see her at the Big House.

Lou blinked, her only outward sign of surprise. Then, smiling apologetically at Serenna, she jogged out of the arena.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0 0

Connor looked up at the sound of footsteps to see Lou Ellen jogging toward them. She paused at the top of the stairs, looking at them critically. He hadn't really spoken with her before, so he did the same.

She was small and slim, with tan skin. Her straight black hair ended in the middle of her back, and her eyes were the emerald green with flecks of gold and purple that all Hecate kids shared. Her jeans were dusty and covered with dirt. Her camp shirt was baggy and faded. Dual short swords were strapped to her thighs, and an empty gun holster adorned her belt.

Chiron walked onto the porch. "Ah, Lou Ellen. Glad you could join us. The gods have issued a quest, led by Travis, to the wonderful state of Montana."

Connor snorted. "What's so wonderful about rocks and horses?"

Lou smirked, "You aren't anywhere near them."

There was silence for a minute in which Lou's smirk almost split her face and Connor subconsciously decided to imitate a puffer fish. It didn't last.

"BUUUUUUURN!" Travis hollered. Connor, getting over his shock, gave her a smug smile.

"Hot, magical, and sarcastic. The total package."

"Oh please. I'm so far out of your league you'd be closer playing tee-ball."

Travis cracked up. "BURN! Again!"

Chiron cleared his throat. "You are going to Montana to investigate a blind spot in the gods' vision. If you do not return in five months, the gods will attack to get you out."

Connor gave a fake and overly dramatic gasp of surprise. "Decent parenting from the gods? What has this world come to?"

Chiron frowned. Choosing to ignore Connor's comment, her instead told the trio, "You leave after breakfast tomorrow. Best get packed."

**AN: *dodges flying projectiles* Gosh, has it really been that long? I apologize for abandoning my other stories, but I hit writer's block, and some guy was getting 'reading the stories' fics deleted, so I thought it best to wait. **

**Love it? Hate it? Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: If I owned PJO, Bianca and Zoe wouldn't have died. Also, Etherea's name comes from the series Spy Goddess. Not mine, just fits her character.**

**Ages: **

**Travis- 16**

**Connor- 15**

**Lou- 14 **

**Etherea- 7**

_Daughter of Magic_

_Two_

Connor ducked. The fireball whizzed over his head as the hydra roared. Lou flicked her wrist and one of her swords sliced another head off. Before the neck could split, Travis hurled Greek fire into it. The stump was burned beyond recognition, and the hydra screamed in anger.

Connor rolled under it and jammed his sword into the big scaly belly. Travis hacked a leg off, and the hydra exploded with a final bellow.

"Boo yah!" yelled Connor.

Travis glared at Lou. "And _this _is why demigods don't eat donuts." She grinned sheepishly.

"That's the fourth monster in three days! We're on a roll!" Connor continued. Lou sighed.

"Come on; let's find a regular, _mortal_ hotel."

"That was one time!" Travis protested as he led them out of the park.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o00o0o0o0o0o0

Lou tapped on the marble counter. "Uh, excuse me?" The attendant looked up, unimpressed. The daughter of Hecate couldn't really blame him. She looked like she'd just lost a fight with a blender. Her hair was matted and tangled, and her clothes had gashes in them from the battle with the hydra. The boys were worse.

Their dirty blonde hair was the same as Lou's, only shorter. Connor's was slightly longer, and it hung in his bright blue eyes. Their skin, pale and covered in freckles, was almost smothered in dirt. The brothers' clothes were in the same state, jeans and shirts splattered in mud.

She turned back to the man. "How many rooms are free?"

He sighed the long-suffering sigh that all small business lackeys had perfected. "Just one. Bathroom, kitchen area, and two beds."

"We'll take it," she said, glancing back toward the boys.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0 o0

"I call this bed!"

"I got this one!"

Travis glared at the others. "And exactly where am _I_ supposed to sleep?"

Connor rolled his eyes. "Hotels always have an extra bed. Look around."

Lou grabbed her pajamas and ducked into the bathroom. "I call first shower!" The Stolls glared after her.

Lou woke with a start. Her heart was pounding. The covers sat in a disheveled heap at her feet. On the bed next to her, Connor let out a snort.

She could _feel_ her heart pounding through her ribcage, and sweat trickled down her face. Even by her recent nightmares, this was a stinker.

There was a low glow emanating from the kitchen area. Travis was sitting on the counter, turning something over in his hands.

"What's stuck in your head?" Travis jumped. A flick of his wrist, and the object was gone. Lou looked at him.

He sighed and pulled out a keychain. Two winged shoes made of Celestial Bronze were strung on it. Lou remembered the thing he was holding was a good deal larger. "Oh."

He laughed bitterly. "Yeah."

She waited. Eventually, he continued. "Last night, Dad visited me in a dream. He said he was proud of me, and he always knew I would succeed. He called me the best counselor in decades."

"Well, that sounds like a good thing, right?"

He looked at her sadly. "Connor's counselor too."

Her throat closed up.

Travis wasn't done. "Ever since we were about ten, when we got to camp, I was always the better one. The older, smarter, faster, funnier Stoll. I never felt superior, but I'm scared Connor doesn't see it that way. That's why I let him go on every raid."

Lou exhaled. "I can relate. I have a younger half-sister, Trinity. She's only nine. She's super sweet, but some campers don't like her. They don't see _her_, just the daughter of the goddess who chose the wrong side. It's not as bad for me, because I fought against Kronos in the Battle of Manhattan, but Trin didn't. When Percy won, she was left behind. My sister Renna was the third person to find her, and they've been attached at the hip since Trin's claiming. She's just nine, I don't want that for her."

Travis tilted his head. "Trinity…. The pale one?"

Lou nodded. After a moment of quiet, Travis let out a huge yawn and his jaw cracked. Lou smirked.

"Go back to bed, golden boy." They grinned, then returned to their separate areas.

In his bed, Connor rolled over and stared at the ceiling. Running around in his head was everything he'd just heard.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: My Polyjuice potion isn't working yet, sorry.**

_Daughter of Magic_

_Three_

There were people who longed to visit Montana. To feel the wind in their hair, to smell the sharp, cold air. To hike among the mighty mountains, to ride a horse across open plains.

Lou thought they were nuts.

Travis drove into town, being the only one with a learner's permit. The asphalt road was bone-white and riddled with holes. The wooden buildings surrounding them appeared to be sagging like a bunch of old ladies in bikinis. The few people outside gave the trio strange looks, though they were most likely directed at the van. It was old, rusty, and had bright orange fanciful letters proclaiming that the vehicle belonged to _Big Ed's Traveling Circus_.

Don't ask.

While Travis was having fun swerving across lanes with a maniac grin on his face, Lou focused mainly on not hurling. She lay across the second row of seats and groaned as the brothers whooped at the poor locals.

Connor stuck his head back in. "That horse just glared at me, I swear!" Travis dodged a kamikaze crow before answering.

"Well, someone's kindly old grandma just flipped me off! Beat that!"

Connor refused to be outdone. "Five bucks I'll get a wave first."

"You're on."

Lou rolled over and whacked both sons of Hermes with a sheathed sword.

"_Ow!_"

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0oo0o0o0o0o0

The gravel road ended at the river. Connor got out and shut his door. "What now?"

"Well," Travis replied, "Now we find and entrance or something. Spread out."

A few minutes later, Lou found something. "Like, a rectangle of stones?"

Connor and Travis jogged over. She had found a black rectangle in the ground, about the size of a doorway. It was outline with black rocks, and the inside was completely black. Everything inside the stones was black.

"Why black?" Travis frowned. "It's so morbid."

"That's the point." Purred an unfamiliar voice. Lou whirled around. A tall man stood there, fingers on his sword hilt. His skin was albino-pale, matching his shock of white hair. They tensed.

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you. It would have been much simpler to just blow up your van. No, I'm offering you a chance to see the City. My home."

"The city?"

"No, the City."

"That's what I said."

"No, you said the city."

"Right. The city."

"No! The City!"

"I said that!"

"You said the city!"

"Exactly! The city!"

"Argh!"

"Sidewalk!"

"What?"

"Travis!" Lou hissed "Can it!"

The man glared at Travis, then turned to Lou. "We request you visit the City, so we may deem you worthy to know our secrets."

She straightened, then said "Of course." In what she hoped was a dignified manner. Connor's snicker told her it wasn't.

The man simply nodded. Slipping something into his hand, he crouched in front of one of the stones. Looking closer, Lou could see a crudely drawn picture, like a caveman had chiseled a shape into the rock. Then the ground was ripped away and she vanished in a whirlwind of color and sound.

O0o0o0o0o00o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o 

Connor had to admit, the City was very white. The rising towers, the train tracks hanging in midair, the trains themselves, everything was white. People milled about on white stones in front of white buildings, bought things from white shops. Most of their clothes were white, which made them stick out by a lot.

"Come," said the man. "You must meet the Elders."

We exchanged looks, and followed him. A tower of grey bricks rose above us. Two bald people were waiting for us.

They wore white shirts and pants. They had grey skin, no hair, and black eyes. The creepiest thing of all was that they had no mouths or noses. It was as if Voldemort had two clones and he sliced off their mouths. Lou shivered as we passed them. I could still feel their eyes on us as we walked in and looked down upon a massive pit. They were digging a huge hole, at least as deep as the Grand Canyon, about the size of three football stadiums laid end to end. Workers scuttled around like little white ants. The worst part?

The workers were all Voldie-clones.

"Ah, my Angels. Working as hard as they can, bless them." The man said, smiling at the clones with a morbid affection.

"Who the Tartarus are you? And what are these things?" demanded Travis.

The man cocked an eyebrow. "They are genectically engineered flesh robots. Cloned from a single embryo, they are flesh and blood through and through. They have no brains however. In their heads are…super-computers, if you will. They have no emotion, and can follow orders to the letter. Quite useful, no?"

Somehow, the knowledge that I was right that they were clones didn't make my sense of this-is-wrong-and-so-so-sick-and-get-out-of-here-now go away.

"You didn't answer his second question." I blurted. "Who the _Tartarus_ are you?"

The man's smile was thin and came nowhere near his eyes. "I am God, of course." He turned to one of the clones. "Angel, take them to some vacant rooms. Tomorrow they meet the Elders."

The clone nodded, and we were marched off as our heads buzzed with questions.

**AN: If anyone knows some reeeeeeally evil-sounding names, please tell me. Me needs them.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Hi! Guess who I stole?**

**Lou- Mmmmm!**

**Me- Be nice! On with the story!**

_Daughter of Magic_

_Four_

The rooms were very simple. Unsurprisingly, they were also white. A bed was pushed into one corner, and bedside table sat next to it. Across the room was a dresser, filled with the (white) shirts and pants that were apparently the uniform here. A door led into the bathroom, where a sink, toilet, and shower shared the crammed space.

"I'm gonna go blind." Connor muttered. He dumped his backpack on the bed, eyeing the colorless room with contempt. He was next to Travis's and across the (white) hall from Lou's identically dull rooms. His dusty and mud-caked clothes seemed dull by comparison. Connor stared at the (white) shower appraisingly.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o00o00o0 o

He was sorting out the contents of his backpack: a mortal knife, a Celestial bronze knife, a cigarette lighter, three rolls of regular duct tape, a burnt Ping-Pong ball, a deck of cards, mortal cash, drachmae, and a spray bottle half-full of water. Connor was just finishing up when Lou barged in with Travis in tow.

She picked up one of the knives and raised her eyebrows. "Duct tape sheaths?" He shrugged.

"You still owe me ten bucks for this." Travis complained, waving the Ping-Pong ball in the air.

"Yeah, yeah."

Lou cleared her throat. "Okay, so, what should we do about this freaky guy-"

"I think we should call him Billy."

"Fine, Connor, we'll call him Billy. So, what should we do about him?"

The door swung open slowly and creepily. A clone stood in the doorway, staring at them blankly. "You have been summoned to God's private dining room. Come."

Glancing at the clone warily, they followed.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Travis took one look at Billy's dining room and almost fainted.

There was no white.

Instead, the large room was painted a dark brown. The furniture, a long, long table and many chairs, were made of mahogany. Said table was currently being smothered with food, enough to keep a Vatican City going for about a week. At the head sat Billy, smiling sinisterly. Travis half-expected him to erupt in an evil cackle. The only light in the room came from a roaring fire the size of one of the camp vans that was placed directly behind Billy.

"Come now, children. Take a seat." Billy said in what he clearly thought was a fatherly tone. It wasn't.

They all took seats at the far end of the table. Billy flicked his wrist, and the table contracted itself into a much tinier one.

He settled down in his seat, oblivious to Lou and Connor moving theirs as far away from his as the table would allow. "Eat up." He said, gesturing to the food.

"The Elders will see you after."

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Travis knew this kind of went without saying, but the Elders were old. Really, really, _really _old. Touch-them-and-they-crumble-like-a-cookie old.

The Council of Elders' assembly room was black. The thrones were made of the same stone that was outlining that black rectangle back in Montana. They were misshapen and hulking, seeming to dominate the room with just one.

There were five Elders. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. 1 was the most important, and was situated at the top of the arc of thrones. They were all men, with transparent skin and colorless eyes that were glazed over in an uncanny resemblance to the clones'.

Billy stood in the middle and turned to face us. "You will now be evaluated. If you pass, you will be given the highest status and educated immediately on our fair City. If you fail….."

He grimaced sadistically. "Well, I've heard pumas are especially hungry this time of year."

**AN: The review button is calling you…**


	6. Chapter 6

_Daughter of Magic_

_Five_

Lou didn't hesitate in almost sprinting out of the Council room, the Stoll brothers right on her heels. She could feel the Elders' eyes X-raying her like evil versions of Professor Dumbledore.

"Excellent!" Billy proclaimed, striding out in front of them. Lou made an incredulous noise in the back of her throat and Connor snorted in indignation.

"Clones, take them to the Vaults." He said dismissively, waving his arm vaguely. Grabbing another passing figure, he lowered his voice so the trio couldn't hear.

"Lock the doors behind them."

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

The steps were white stone, as were the walls. They were rough and misshapen, Lou noticed as she stubbed her toe again and again. The clones seemed to glide over the bumps and lumps as if they had wings.

Connor and Travis were just as infuriating, which got under her skin, especially as they were so bad at sneaking. And they snickered whenever she tripped, which was quite a lot. And she glared when they snickered. Which was also quite a lot.

Their smiles were wiped from their faces, however, when they entered the Vaults. Deep underground, the Vaults were a long and winding tunnel that housed all kinds of evil beings. A warped and twisted looking worm rose twenty feet high in front of them, foaming at the mouth as it slammed against its bars. Travis was particularly keen to get past that one.

Clones stood with vacant expressions next to each cell, standing ramrod straight. There were at least ten guarding the end of the hall, where they were headed. Lou gulped.

The wall of clones stepped aside as the trio was ushered into the room. They were standing in a small room separated from an identical space via a one-way mirror. The thick glass took up the entire wall, and they could see very clearly the little girl sitting in the chained chair.

She was young, the massive wooden seat nearly swallowing her. Her blonde head was low as if she didn't have the strength to lift it. She was unhealthily thin, the manacles on her wrists and ankles almost big enough to slip through. The girl's plain dress was tattered and filthy, covered in dirt and a frightening amount of blood. Her skin was almost translucent and swathed in purplish bruises. Lou's face was twisted in fury, Connor's eyes were wide with horror, and Travis was frozen in shock.

Lou spun on Billy, blinded with rage. "How are you able to _sleep_ at night? This is _barbaric_! You're _torturing_ a _little girl_! She's not even _old _enough to do anything _wrong_!"

"It is not my nature to question orders, Miss Ellen."

Lou froze, transfixed with horror. "Orders? You mean-"

"Her own parents put her in there." He fixed her with one chilling eye. "I simply do as instructed."

Lou couldn't speak, couldn't think. Ice was flooding her, pumping through her veins.

Billy walked right up to the glass. "It must be instinctual to care for your family, but I really do wonder how you can stand your mother."

Connor glared at him. "Cut the crap and tell us what the hell you're talking about."

He chuckled sinisterly. "That girl is a daughter of Hecate as well." As he waved a finger, clones grabbed each of the trio's arms. Dragging them away from the room, Lou saw the girl lift her head.

Her half-sister's expression twisted her heart, and something snapped inside.

O0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Lou's hot, angry tears blurred her vision as they were escorted back. She could hear Travis and Connor muttering behind her, and could guess the topic of conversation. They arrived at the rooms, and Lou wasted no time in slamming the door on her companions. The sobs finally burst through and ran down her face. The daughter of Hecate curled up on the bed and trembled with rage and helplessness.

A hesitant tap on the door made her look up. Connor stood there, surveying her with cautious eyes. Lou sniffled as he gingerly sat on the very edge of the bed. The one thing guaranteed to scare the bejeezus out of males everywhere: crying females.

Connor cleared his throat nervously. "I have a nine-year-old sister, named Holli. She's a year rounder because of her crappy home life. Two summers ago, she came to camp with bruises and scars from her junkie mother. She's not the only one, either. Most mortal parents resent the gods and decide to take it out on their kids. I see it in undetermined kids, the tell-tale signs of growing up unloved. I guess what I'm saying is, I know what it's like to see someone hurt because of something they had no control over."

Lou sat there, mulling over his words. Connor stood and offered her a hand. He pulled her up so they were standing face to face, just inches apart. Lou was hyper-aware that he had yet to let go of her hand. She looked into his crystilinne blue eyes.

Abruptly, the door swung open. Three clones were shilouetted in the doorway, holding handcuffs. Ignoring their indignant splutters, they dragged the demigods outside to see an equally irritated Travis.

As they began marching down the corridor, Lou noticed the shackles had come partially undone. Twisting her wrist, she managed to pull her hand free. Spinning around and drawing back her fist, she**[This content has been deleted for the enjoyment of our more tender-hearted readers. Though, if any of you are still reading this, you should just leave now.]**and the last clone toppled over with a thud.

"C'mon!" Lou said, flashing a devilish smile. "I've got a sister to save."

Connor turned to his dumbstruck brother, who was watching the green-eyed girl race down the hallway. "Dibs."

**AN: *looks up* Yeah, I just can't write a good fight scene. **

**Lou: 'crystalinne blue eyes'? I am NOT BellaTotallyAMarySueSwan!**

***pats her arm* Of **_**course**_** you aren't. **

**Onwards and upwards!**


End file.
